ネイティブが教える英会話のジェムスクール☆Teachers☆

I have started to plant a veeeeerrrry small garden on my balcony! I use planters (small plastic or ceramic containers designed for plants), and I have about five small planters right now. I have two mini tomato plants, a parsley plant, a shio plant, and some basil! the ast three are still seeds in the dirt, and I really hope they sprout soon!
  

Since I've been in Japan I haven't been able to keep up with my television shows that I watch - I would either try to keep up with them on TV or through Netflix, and if it so happened that I ran out of episodes I would just watch a new show.

Netflix in Japan doesn't have access to the majority of the shows that I like to watch, so we cancelled the subscription. Also, we don't have a TV and we really can't watch American TV in Japan anyways so, yeah.

Some of the shows that I watch:
The 100
Arrow
Doctor Who
The Flash
Game of Thrones
Grimm
Marvel's Agents of SHIELD
Once Upon A Time
Supernatural
The Walking Dead

I miss my television!  

Recently I tried to cook something new. I love udon, broccoli and beef. So I decided to put them all together. I first cooked the beef and the broccoli with some green onions. While that was cooking I also boiled some udon noodles. I like my udon noodles very chew and once they were done I tossed them in the pan with the beef and vegetables and sautéed them together. I made a garlic sauce to put on top. I was so yummy.

I like to experiment in the kitchen mixing together things I like. Do you every try to make your own dishes?

Let me know!

Thank you for reading,

Kristen  

My friend arrived in Japan Sunday. Monday morning before class, I took him sightseeing. The first place we went was Kotahira, to see Kompira-san. We accidentally went up the back of the mountain, but we still found our way. He was very impressed by the architecture. On our way down we stopped for Udon. It was a fantastic day.   

Golden week is approaching and with it the question of money. Sadie and I typically like to save money on a monthly basis. We take part of our paychecks and send the money home to our American bank accounts. We do this so that we may pay bills and save money for when we return to the states. Golden Week poses the question, do we save money or have fun during the holidays?

Originally we thought of going to Okinawa but decided against it after seeing the price of tickets. We came to the conclusion that is is best to keep a little extra and still save money as we normally do. As a result we are likely to spend our Golden Week in Kanonji. While we have no idea what we will do we hope that we get to see some of our students, if they are in town.

Do you like to spend/enjoy your money or do you prefer to save for a rainy day? Save for a rainy day is a common expression used in America. If you do not understand the expression please ask us in class :)  

As most of you know, on Sunday I will be flying back to America for a short visit. I plan to see my family and friends and buy lots of things that I want and need!

Right now, my suitcase is a quarter full of presents! Capsule toys, daruma, lucky cats, candy, chocolate, pins, notebooks, fabric, and so much more! I made a special trip to Kotohira just to go shopping for cute Japanese gifts. I still have plans to hit the 100yen store one more time just in case I forgot someone.

And then of course, what will I be BRINGING BACK!? In America, will I find a nice gift for my staff and students?  

I'm sure I have mentioned before how much I really like summer. And one of the things I planned to do over the summer was to host or go to as many bbq parties as possible. I made that decision last year, though it may have been a bit too rash to say, now that I think about it. Reason I say this is because a friend of mine, to whom I have told about this particular desire, has taken it a bit to heart, and so far has tried to host several gatherings already. Of course, I have been invited to pretty much all of them, but have not actually been able to attend most. I have become much busier lately, and have not been able to go for one reason or another. It is with this in mind that I realized how trying to bbq so often would not work out so well, since everyone I would invite most likely wouldn't always have the free time to go (especially with differences in work schedule). I kind of feel bad for my friend, since it was probably my fault that the idea was planted in his head. Still, we have a whole summer ahead of us, so there will be opportunities to go! (Plus we could probably change it up, have picnics rather grilling, or something like that).  

Two weeks ago a 2 month old baby and his mother visited my baby mom club. I've never had one that small visit a three hour class and he was so cute! He didn't cry and he has a brilliant smile! As the baby club went on the little baby, like all little babies do, fell asleep. I still thought he was adorable! I continued the class treating him no different than the others and by the end of it his mom was so impressed that I kept reading to him and speaking to him even though he was asleep. Babies are precious, and even though they may be sleeping they are still listening. Little babies are God's blessing to is so we need to teach them right!  

Good morning!

It's that fun and magical time of yera again, where everyone gets to enjoy a week of holidays and fun in the sun! Last year for Golden Week, I got a chance to travel and visit Osaka, which remains one of my favourite citites that I have visited here in Japan. It was three days of shopping sightseeing and exploring, and I enjoyed all of it.

This year, however, I find myself in a slightly different situation. Because of our upcoming trip back to Canada, our ability to plan and budget over Golden Week is pretty limited! No big trips, no grand adventures,this year! This doesn't mean, however, that Golden Week is going to be a gloomy time, just the opposite! There are a ton of interesting and fun activities going on all the time in the next week, and I'd like to take the opportunity to see some of them! The exhibition of Picasso art, which is something I've been looking forward to for a while now, as well as the new exhibit of swords from Japan's past, and the Marugame fesitval are all taking place over Golden Week, and I'd like to take the chance and spend some time getting to better know the city that I live in!

What about you? What are your plans for Golden Week?

Have a great one,
Alex  

Yesterday I made pickles!!




Pickles can be any food that you preserve using vinegar or fermentation. I choose cucumbers, which are the most common to use in Canada and America. If these turn out well I want to use lots of other veggies and try to make yummy healthy pickles to keep in the fridge.
I used dill, thyme, and rosemary to flavor the pickles, and lots of garlic too! I can't wait to taste them!
Have you ever made pickles?  

  

A little late in saying so, but it has already been two years since I came to Japan and started working for Gem School! Whoooo!
It has been quite a fun time since, and so much has happened. I have already moved twice (three times, if you count moving back), participated in several marathons, encountered many people, drank at several different locations, experienced nature in ways I was not able to before, and have had more fun than I thought possible!
Not only that, I have already signed on for another year with Gem School, so here's looking forward to another amazing year! I am looking forward to a great summer full of outings (though maybe not a lot of traveling). I hope I will have some kind of adventure, since now a days I really need to go easy on the spending, as I will soon have to start paying for full pension and stuff. Well, we'll see how it turns out!   

Hello, all!

Here it is! The post in which I hardly do any writing at all. Instead, I'll mostly just post a few photos from my friends' visit, with some notes.

I met Matt and Richard in Hiroshima on Saturday, and got to spend all the time through Wednesday morning with them. We saw Miyajima, stayed in a ryokan, hung out at my apartment, went to Marugame Castle, met lots of Gem School teachers, and even visited the Kanonji school. It was Richard's first time overseas, so I'm grateful he decided to visit me here!


Matt and Richard arrived in Osaka, just in time for the end of cherry blossom season! Here's Richard enjoying his first day in Japan.



Matt, who is a quarter Japanese, has relatives in Osaka. He's written them many times, but never met them before. He finally got the chance last week! This is, I think, his great-uncle (his grandmother's brother).



Here's one of the Miyajima deer resolutely attempting to eat a tourist brochure. We think someone must have held the brochure with greasy hands, so it smelled like food. Don't throw your trash on the ground, folks! Animals are not smart enough to know they can't eat it.



Matt was very, very excited to have me take his picture touching the "Pacific Ocean" (actually the Seto Inland Sea). I'm not sure why he was so insistent, but here's the picture anyway!



Here's a nice picture Matt took while crossing the Shimanami Kaido. He's traveled a lot around Japan before, but he agreed that taking the bus instead of the train was worth it for this scenery.



We were accosted by some, er, rather inebriated ryokan guests at dinner our second night. (Note that they were drinking; we didn't drink at all!) For some reason they were particularly interested in Richard, so we took this picture of him being shockingly serene in the midst of their onslaught. (Actually, we had a pretty good conversation with them in Japanese, too.)



Finally I have a good picture of my favorite local temple—Senryū-ji, in the mountains behind Shikokuchūō! Even my students in Shikokuchūō don't know that Senryū-ji exists, so I was proud to be able to show my friends such a nice hidden treasure.



I spotted this little guy in a stump in Mishima Park, and Matt took just about the coolest picture I've ever seen. Be sure to click for full size—it's wallpaper-worthy!



Finally, I am very happy that Matt and Richard share my affection for moss. Moss is so great! It's cool, and such a bright green, and has so many different textures, and everything covered with moss makes me feel comfortable and happy. Richard took this excellent photo at Senryū-ji. Wait... this is wallpaper-worthy, too!


Besides memories, Matt and Richard left me another wonderful memento: grape jelly! It's impossible to find in Japan, but now that I have it I can make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for a few Japanese people who have been interested. (...And for myself.)

Have a wonderful Golden Week!

—Matthew  

This special exhibit is at the Kagawa Museum in Takamatsu, which is close to the train station and very easy to get to. The cost is 1200 yen and includes the rest of the museum. The show continues through May 22nd. No photos were allowed inside the exhibit, as is usually the case.

The show included a variety of his work over the many years of his life, the kinds of things I've seen before. One interesting thing that was part of this show, that I've not seen in other shows, was one room of photographs of the artist over the years. I've read much about how the women in his life affected his art, but this has me wondering how much the women influenced his appearance. Or maybe that was all his own doing? Photos in the '30's and '40's show his hairstyle as a longer comb over, probably to hide the thinning hair on top. Then, the photos starting in the 1950's show the close cut, almost bald on top, style that I think of when I think of Picasso. He seemed much bolder and freer in his appearance as he aged. In almost every photo, right up to the end of his life, he has a cigarette in his mouth or hand. I think he lived to be 91. Maybe he just posed with the cigarettes and didn't smoke them? It doesn't seem fair that one can smoke so much and live so long.



  

Golden week is almost here! I'm very excited for some time off. I'm really looking forward to taking a trip to Hiroshima this year.



I visited last year but only for a day. It was a very somber experience for me.

I didn't get to go to Miyajima last time, so I'm excited to finally go, though I'm worried about the crowds. Hopefully it won't be too bad. I also love Hiroshima style Okonomiyaki!

I'm so excited!  

Hello! Today I want to talk to you about one of my new favourite spring food, ratatouille! This food is a French dish, and the name is pronounced rat-a-too-ee. IT is made of onion zucchini, eggplant, tomatoes and lots of yummy spices in a big pan and is simmers and stews for about 40 minutes. It's quick, easy and yummy! Have you tried ratatouille before? Does it sound like something you would like to eat?
  

If you read Camilo's recent post you know we went hunting for bamboo last weekend. He left out the part of what we ate for lunch and I will tell you now: Soba noodles!

We went to a restaurant where you needed to take off your shoes before we went inside, which was a first for us and also we ate on the floor on tatami! This was also the first time either of us had tried soba noodles and also we tried some other fried leaves and such, which in America, we don't fry leaves! All of the food was delicious.

This whole day was a great adventure of many firsts.  

I went to a BBQ at Kamo river last weekend. :) We had a lot of fun! Someone brought some bubble so I thought Id try them out.



It was a little childish, but I really enjoyed my time anyway. With the warmer weather I'm really looking forward to more trips to the river with my friends.   

I love to eat tacos. It seems that in Japan taco's are not a very common food to be eaten. I know a restaurant in Shikokuchou that severs tacos. It is so delicious. Every time I make a new friends that likes tacos or has never had a taco I take them to Shikokuchuo for dinner. In the picture I had a Shrimp Taco. It is my favorite. They are not spicy at all, but you can add spicy salsa if you want!

Have you ever eaten a taco? Please go to Shikokuchu and try one. Tell them Kristen sent you!

Thank you for reading,

Kristen  

I don't have much time to play video games like I used to back when I was a kid but I just had to get this game a friend of mine back home urged me to get. It's literally playing soccer with cars, and it's super fun. Not to mention the music tracks in the game are great! However this game is proving to be hard to master. I'm not as good at video games as I used to be when I was younger.

This is the type of game that brings back memories of playing fun games while your friends are over. It's pure fun and laughs.

- James Barbosa